Madison Ave Bus Lane: NYC Project Moves Forward

NEW YORK, January 7, 2026

Madison Avenue Bus Lanes Get a Long-Awaited Boost

A stalled city redesign will extend dedicated bus lanes, promising faster commutes for tens of thousands of riders.

• Mayor Zohran mamdani’s administration announced Sunday the completion of a stalled street redesign project.
• Double bus lanes on Madison Avenue will extend from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street.
• The project aims to improve bus speeds and reliability for approximately 92,000 daily riders.
• The city is also reviving similar projects on McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn and 31st Street in Queens.

New York City bus riders are poised for quicker, more reliable commutes as the city moves forward with an expansion of bus lanes on Madison Avenue. The Department of Transportation project, announced Sunday by Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, will extend double bus lanes from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street.

Did you know? New York City has over 600 miles of bus routes, serving millions of riders daily.

Fifth Avenue Success Story

Transportation commissioner Mike Duffy highlighted the potential impact, drawing parallels to a similar redesign on Fifth Avenue. “On nearby Fifth Avenue, a similar design led to real improvements,†Duffy said. “Local bus speeds increased by up to 12% and express bus speeds by as much as 20%. That’s meaningful time back in riders’ daily lives, and that’s what we expect to deliver here.â€

What impact will the Madison Avenue bus lane expansion have on commuters? The city anticipates the redesign will benefit 92,000 daily local and express bus riders, making buses faster and more dependable. The project also aims to bolster the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Congestion Pricing Program by providing a more convenient alternative to driving into Manhattan’s core.

Pro tip Check the MTA website or app for real-time bus tracking and service alerts before yoru commute.

Expanding the Network

The city expects the Madison Avenue redesign to be completed this year. Beyond Madison Avenue, the Department of Transportation is also prioritizing the revival of critical street redesign projects on mcguinness Boulevard in Brooklyn and 31st Street in queens, according to the mayor’s office.

NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow emphasized the importance of bus lanes. “Bus lanes are key to getting buses through traffic and keeping riders moving,†Crichlow said in a statement. “It’s great news that NYC DOT is moving forward on longstanding bus lane legal commitments to speed up buses on Madison Ave. When paired with bus lane enforcement, nearly 100,000 riders of the M1, M2, M3, M4, Q32, and express buses going to midtown, will save time getting where they need to go.â€

Ben Furnas,executive director of Transportation Alternatives,celebrated the expansion.“We couldn’t be happier to celebrate this expanded bus lane right in the center of the congestion relief zone,†Furnas said in a statement supplied by the mayor’s office. “This upgrade will build on congestion pricing’s success to bring faster, more reliable commutes to almost 100,000 New Yorkers. This is a step forward for all bus riders in New York City, and we look forward to new, improved, and expanded bus lanes in every corner of the five boroughs.â€

Reader question How can the city ensure bus lane enforcement to maximize the benefits of these expansions?

A bus travels on Madison Avenue in New York City.